AR 15 trigger improvement question?

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Rule3

Rule3

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Probably been discussed to death but here goes/ I have a stock SW AR 15 Magpul edition, fine for my needs, do not need a tack driver match gun (I have bolt actions for that)

I would like to make the trigger a little better.

Can they be improved just by spring changes (such as Wolff springs)?? which I do on all my revolvers. Mainspring and rebound on the revolvers.

Trigger Function Pack:

http://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=2&mID=1&dID=79#977

Or does a a whole drop in trigger kit need to be used? I am not spending $200 for a Timminy or other expensive trigger kit but did see the :

ALG ACT or QMS enhanced trigger kit at Brownells (or Midway) $45 or $65. That price is reasonable for my wallet but does it smooth out the trigger as they say? I do not need a 3lb trigger just nicer than the heavy stock one.


http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...1&spJobID=178096011&spReportId=MTc4MDk2MDExS0
 
yes, there are all kinds of minor things you can do, but for the love of God, don't file on the sear. they are surface hardened and the soft metal underneath will not last long after you file through it.
 
Either one of those is an improvement over the stock trigger and sell for a reasonable price. ALG is the same folks that make the Geisselle trigger groups. Those are the top of the heep IMO.
I've done many trigger jobs on different guns over the years, but I would not try to tune the stock AR trigger parts. Far better to replace them with better guts on that particular gun.
 
I polish some areas on my handguns very light stone or wet dry to take off rough, uneven areas and swap out springs. No Dremels!:eek:

So the ALG kit is worth the money??

As I mentioned all I want it a little smoother and to break a little better. I have a custom trigger in my Rem 700 and it can be adjusted to so light it's scary!

Thanks
 
Yes, worth the money! We buy Geisselle internals for our work guns and we run them hard. The ALG are the best bang for the buck in a basic trigger unit to upgrade from the stock internals. If you're trying to build a match rifle, there are better choices. There are lots of other choices at a higher price, some with good warranty support and some without.
 
http://www.sargenthome.com/15_Minute_AR_Trigger_Job.htm

http://www.junkyardgenius.com/firearms/ar-15/ar08.html

those will probably get you where you want to be for about an hour of effort and a dollar. I have posted about it before in depth, so if you want to give it a try search for my posts, or any of the zillion posts about this trigger mod online, or shoot me a PM.

But basically I did it and dropped my trigger from a creepy gritty 7-8lbs to a pretty nice 3lb trigger with no loss of function. Not a match trigger, but sounds like good enough for your purposes.

You need wire cutters and a screw driver. To get even less creep you will need a file or dremel tool to work on the back of the trigger bar. At no point do you touch the sear surfaces. If you try it and mess up or don't like it, you can go back to stock parts for about $5, or still go ahead and buy a fancy trigger for $150-300.
 
Rule 3;
You've been given good advice. Geissele is the cream of the crop. You can pay less but you won't get anything better. Do not stone or grind upon the stock trigger parts. Changing springs is about all you can do safely.

Roger
 
Do yourself a favor, listen to the guys about the Giessele parts.

I've had both RRA single and two-stage triggers and after trying the Geiselle SSA trigger on another fella's AR, I went ahead and hit my credit card for one and am having it installed on my M4 build.

Yeah, it's expensive. But sometimes it's best to pay once and avoid a LOT of frustration later.
 
Thanks all for the links. I have tools and mechanically inclined but am more of a handgun guy and not a AR "expert" I prefer the drop in ,method. My friend who runs a LGS and builds guns can certainly help me.

I think the drop in ALG sounds like the ticket to me right now but will research the links from Greyling also. I am in no hurry.

Yes there are those great triggers out there but I do not want to spend that kind of money on this rifle.

I am in Rimfire Central also and see what happens to $200 Ruger 10/22's:D:D
 
Playing with springs can affect reliability, so if it is a gun you may risk your life on one day, get the ALG QMS or ACT trigger. I have one of both and they are indeed very good for the money. I am sold on them. The QMS (Quality MilSpec) is a basically a top of the line standard setup IMO. The ACT is Boron coated and should last about forever. It isn't a big upgrade in feel from the QMS though.
 
Walkalong said:
Playing with springs can affect reliability, so if it is a gun you may risk your life on one day, get the ALG QMS or ACT trigger. I have one of both and they are indeed very good for the money. I am sold on them. The QMS (Quality MilSpec) is a basically a top of the line standard setup IMO. The ACT is Boron coated and should last about forever. It isn't a big upgrade in feel from the QMS though.
Click to expand...

So is it worth paying the few extra bucks for the more expensive one? I do not think I will wear out this gun or trigger, It probably has a longer expected life span than I do,;)
 
I did the spring clip and bend thing and polished some of the moving parts with 1500 grit sandpaper. didn't touch the sear. It's no 2# trigger, but it helped tons and cost me nothing.
 
note that a lot of triggers have "bending the springs" as the way to adjust the 1st stage trigger pull. so you can bend them one way to lighten them. but if you have a heavy sear engagement, there's not really a lot you can do, because it actually needs the heavy spring to send the trigger back forward to reset, overcoming the force of the sear engagement.
 
I also recommend an ALG QMS trigger. They dont reduce the weight of pull, but they remove 95% of the slop. I sent one to Bill Springfield for his 4# tuning. $45 for the ALG and $45 for the trigger work. With shipping, I got a very nice trigger for right around $100.

You could also pair a ALG with the JP yellow spring kit, but the reduced power springs could cause primer ignition issues (I haven't had any issues with this set up yet).
 
just run the set screw up the grip and take out a lot of the sear engagement. Girtty doesn't matter much when there isn't much contact. I really think OP should try it before he buys a new trigger.
 
greyling22 said:
just run the set screw up the grip and take out a lot of the sear engagement. Girtty doesn't matter much when there isn't much contact. I really think OP should try it before he buys a new trigger.
Click to expand...

The trigger is no so much "gritty" or sloppy, just HEAVY. If I get it at Brownells and it does not get better or I do not like it, I can send it back. Sure I lose the shipping but not a big deal in the amount of money I have spent on other junk (mainly cleaning stuff)

The QMS is $45.
 
BBBBill, check those links I posted. the set screw goes in the drop screw location. You install it. Typically the grip screw hole is threaded all the way into the frame. Rule3, if all are dealing with is heavy, try clipping a leg of the hammer spring. If you don't like it a new spring is $3. You can buy a lot of bullets for you or flower for your wife for the cost of an aftermarket trigger. You do read on the description of the QMS that the pull weight is not changed much right? "The pull of the QMS is very similar to a standard mil-spec trigger, however the majority of the associated grittiness of the stock trigger pull has been removed while the well-known reliability of a stock trigger remains.The pull weight is not lower than the M4/M16 minimum weight specification of 5.5lbs. "
 
greyling22 said:
BBBBill, check those links I posted. the set screw goes in the drop screw location. You install it. Typically the grip screw hole is threaded all the way into the frame. Rule3, if all are dealing with is heavy, try clipping a leg of the hammer spring. If you don't like it a new spring is $3. You can buy a lot of bullets for you or flower for your wife for the cost of an aftermarket trigger. You do read on the description of the QMS that the pull weight is not changed much right? "The pull of the QMS is very similar to a standard mil-spec trigger, however the majority of the associated grittiness of the stock trigger pull has been removed while the well-known reliability of a stock trigger remains.The pull weight is not lower than the M4/M16 minimum weight specification of 5.5lbs. "
Click to expand...
From my handgun "trigger" jobs, I do not clip springs. I can get reduced weight springs from Wolff. Other companies sell them but they are most made by Wolff as are most factory springs.Trigger, rebound, hammer, rebound, recoil etc.

I looked at the links quickly. As I mentioned I am in no hurry. still pondering;)

Thanks for all the info.
 
It's Moly so I imagine it would help some. Very slippery stuff and near impossible to remove. We could by a jar and it would be enough for the whole forum!:D Kinda like sizing wax., handed down generations.!
 
I have 2 RRA 2-stage triggers and love them. Both have fired thousands of rounds and work as well as they did on day one. One came with the RRA lower and the other I picked up new $90.
I don't have any experience with the ALG kit.
 
I have Jard triggers in all of my AR's. Less than 2lbs and can be adjusted with a simple little spring. About $170 I believe.

Woops. $147, not $170
 
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